Worship the Flame
by Mintelle
Summary: Two unlikely souls make a unique connection through a shared memory that neither of them can explain. Diving headfirst into the secrets that bind them, they resurface having bitten off more than they can chew. When faced with unfathomable dangers, they must make a choice: sever the bind and stay alive, or risk everything to cherish even just one more second together. [ON HIATUS]
1. Chapter 1

**WORSHIP THE FLAME**

* * *

**Chapter One**

**Summary: **Two unlikely souls make a unique connection through a shared memory that neither of them can explain. Diving headfirst into the secrets that bind them, they resurface having bitten off a lot more than they can chew. When faced with unfathomable dangers, they must make a choice: sever the bind and stay alive, or risk everything to cherish even just one more second together.

**Author's Note:** This story was not originally meant to be released until 'Please Don't Go, Sir' was completed. However, I'm having trouble writing new chapters for my other fictions, so I'm releasing this one a bit early to try and get the juices flowing. Please note; this is not my main story, so might be updated less regularly. For the time being, new chapters will be released every Sunday. Oh, and just a side note, it's set during the eighth year AU, where some characters survive.

**Pairings/Ships: **Draco x Hermione | Harry x Ginny | Ron x Lavender | Others

**Warnings: **Strong language, violence, sexual references and content throughout. Mentions or scenes of torture may appear during later chapters. ****

**Disclaimer: **I do not own, or make a claim to Harry Potter or any related material. I only own this fiction, which is for entertainment purposes.

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o.O.o

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"You're all alone." A soft, airy voice stated rather bluntly. Ever since the War had ended, that seemed to be a fact Draco Malfoy had grown quite accustomed to. His father had made a rather unexpected move and turned himself into the authorities, offering to give them any information they required for leniency. It came as no surprise that Lucius was arrested, his trial pending a date until all of his leads were thoroughly investigated. So far, from what his Father's letters had described, the Aurors seemed content with the information he had provided, all of it proving to be valid and genuine.

Several Death Eaters who had attempted to flee the country were captured and locked away in Azkaban thanks to Lucius' in-depth knowledge of their whereabouts and the likely places they'd visit. Despite his efforts to assist the Aurors, many Witches and Wizards were still demanding that the senior Malfoy receive the Kiss. Draco was coping with the news it could be a possibility in his own way, but his Mother was barely holding herself together. Narcissa rarely came out of the Manor, she spent the majority of her day in bed crying. It broke Draco's heart to see his Mother so distraught, but none of his attempts to comfort her ever worked. Since the War had ended, Draco had never felt more alone.

"That was the plan." He stated, not bothering to lift his gaze from the book he was reading: Fowl or Foul? A Study of Hippogriff Brutality. It wasn't as if he was particularly welcome on the Hogwarts Express anyway. Like a lot of his peers, he'd opted to return to complete his education. But the moment he'd stepped onto the platform, he'd started regretting that decision. People glared at him from the moment he arrived to the moment he'd sat down in the first empty compartment he'd found. They'd naturally sent slurs his way; Death Eater scum, murderer, among others. Others had been less subtle and actually sent hexes and jinxes at him. Simple, harmless ones, probably more focused on showing him their disapproval of his presence there than to actually inflict any harm upon him.

"No one deserves to be alone." The soft voice responded, then sat themselves down opposite him. Lifting his gaze to peer over the pages of his book, it was then he was met with the ever-present smile of Luna Lovegood. She was wearing a large blue knitted cardigan that went down to her knees, accompanied by a pair of grey leggings and there was absolutely nothing on her feet. Looking back up at her, he raised a brow in curiosity.

She simply shrugged in response, not offering him any kind of explanation and glanced out of the compartment's window, waving to someone on the platform. Draco couldn't help but look in the same direction, eyes widening slightly when he saw who Luna was greeting. Brown. Lavender Brown. The same girl who had fallen from a balcony during the Battle of Hogwarts and been brutally attacked by Fenrir Greyback. The scar on her neck from where he'd 'left his mark' was faded and barely noticeable to the untrained eye.

Brown waved back, an eager smile spreading across her face when she saw Luna, however it faded in an instant when she saw Draco. Lowering her hand, and her gaze, Brown scuttled away, hiding among the crowd of her fellow students. Looking back at his book, Draco couldn't help but let out a soft sigh. He was a fool to hope anyone would look at him differently like he was something more than a Death Eater. This was how things were going to be for the rest of his life, and he was just going to have to accept that.

"I'm sorry for what you had to go through." The honesty and sincerity of Luna's words made Draco's chest tighten, while his knuckles whitened as his grip on his book doubled in strength. His heart was slamming against his ribcage, beating faster than it should have.

"You were a prisoner in my home. My aunt tortured you for defending Ollivander. Why in Merlin's name are you apologising to me?" Draco scoffed, keeping his gaze on the words sprawled out on the pages before him, trying to keep at bay his impending wave of guilt.

He couldn't look at her. Not after what she'd been through thanks to his family. What he was not expecting was for Lovegood to gently remove the book from his hand, a fair amount of strength hidden within her tiny hands. Putting it down on the empty seat beside her, she leaned forward and took Draco's hands in her own, pulling up his sleeve. Before he had the chance to protest or attempt to pull free of her hold her hand clamped around his arm just above where the Dark Mark rested, preventing him from pulling the sleeve back down. The other hand kept his other arm firmly in place, restraining him.

"My time in your home was brief and tolerable. What I went through is nothing compared to what you had to endure. We all have our scars, we all have wounds that will never close from the War. But you're marked, Draco, tainted by a cruel fate whose path you should have never encountered. It upsets me knowing that few people are willing to see that the War broke you just as much as the rest of us." Luna sighed, her eyes never leaving his.

He didn't have the chance to respond before the compartment door swung open and in marched an angry-looking Ronald Weasley, cheeks bright red with rage and brows furrowed. Barely a second passed before Ron pulled out his wand, from the movement his mouth was making it looked as if he was about to cast a Stupefy before Luna let go of Draco's arm and stood up, moving between the two before brandishing her own wand.

"_Tarantallegra!__" _Luna snapped, causing Ron's legs to suddenly spasm out of control, making it look like he was performing some kind of fast-paced dance, which in turn caused Ron to drop his wand in surprise. With a flick of her wand, Luna managed to send Ron flying down the corridor, rather slowly to ensure as much humiliation was bestowed upon him as humanly possible. Draco could hear several laughs erupting from nearby compartments as Ron went past them, followed by the frustrated yells from Ron himself.

Satisfied with her handiwork, Luna sat back down and gave Draco another smile. He just stared at her in complete disbelief. Luna Lovegood, someone who had been held against her will and attacked in his home, had just defended him from one of her friends.

"There have been a lot more Wrackspurts in Ron's head since the War ended." Luna stated, offering him some sort of an apologetic explanation for Weasley's actions. Slowly nodding, despite having no idea what the young blonde was on about, Draco pulled down his sleeve and slowly reached over to reclaim his book. Despite her gentle mannerisms, he knew full well that Lovegood was a powerful Witch capable of inflicting a lot of damage if she wanted to. His Aunt had learned that lesson after dragging her out of the dungeons to 'punish her'. All Lovegood had done was ask that Ollivander be left alone because the old man was already injured and unwell, selflessly, compassionately fearing for his well-being.

In a moment of arrogant foolishness, his Aunt had failed to notice Lovegood had managed to pocket her prized blade and used it against her, brandishing Bellatrix with a large cut on the chest. Of course, several Death Eaters had stepped in to restrain Luna and relieve her of the blade. It was at that point his Aunt decided to use the Cruciatus curse on her. That was the first and only time Draco had heard Luna scream the entire time she was there.

"Lovegood, why are you sitting here with me? You could be having a good time with your friends, but instead, you just humiliated one of them to defend me. I don't understand what you've got to gain out of all of this. Why did you choose to come here, instead of saving yourself the trouble of associating with me?" Draco asked, settling his book down onto his lap to look at her properly for the first time since she'd entered the compartment.

"You're wrong, I am having a good time with one of my friends." Luna stated softly, that beaming smile still plastered across her face. Without saying anything else, she got up and moved over to sit next to him, rummaging through her shoulder bag before pulling out a clear plastic bag filled with circular shaped chocolates, roughly the same size as peas. Taking his hand, once again without his permission, she poured some of the chocolates onto his hand before doing the same herself. He raised a brow but slowly turned his attention to the sweet treats, placing one in his mouth, surprised at the rather pleasant orange flavour that accompanied the smooth chocolate.

"Thank you...Luna." Draco muttered before placing another chocolate into his mouth.

**.**

Explaining Lovegood's presence to his usual band of Slytherin friends wasn't nearly as awkward as Draco had expected it to be. To his surprise, she was actually already on a friendly basis with Daphne Greengrass, who had been out shopping with her on numerous occasions before their return to Hogwarts. Pansy Parkinson remained quiet about their Ravenclaw guest, but she didn't seem as disgruntled by her joining them as she would have done a year ago. She even offered Luna a polite nod and smile upon seeing her.

Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott sat themselves down directly opposite Luna and Draco, whilst Daphne opted to sit next to Luna and Pansy took the last remaining seat next to Blaise. The journey was surprisingly pleasant, save for the occasional glare from someone walking past their compartment. No one dared the enter, and the few who summoned enough courage to open the door were quickly sent on their merry way by Lovegood.

That in itself was enough to earn the approval of Blaise and Theo, while Pansy was laughing her head off, particularly when some second year Gryffindor tried to march to give them a piece of his mind, only to be dismissed by a quick Levicorpus from Luna.

Before he knew it, Draco was back in the Great Hall watching the first years get sorted into their houses. It almost felt like nothing had changed, that there had never been a War and he was simply beginning his final year at Hogwarts. But there were still lingering memories of the battle that lurked in every corner of his mind. Everywhere he looked, he was reminded of something or someone that had suffered because of Voldemort's actions.

McGonagall, the new Headmistress, made her announcements shortly after the new students were sorted, welcoming everyone back and giving a long speech about how honoured she was to be taking over from Dumbledore. The very mention of their former headmaster's name earned Draco several harsh glares from numerous Gryffindors and Ravenclaws, as well as the odd Hufflepuff here or there. She also addressed the 'eighth-year' students, who were to join the seventh years in their lessons but be given their own shared common room and private dormitories, as there wasn't enough room for them to stay with their fellow housemates. After the feast was over, she would show them where.

"Oh, I'm looking forward to this." Pansy groaned, sarcasm lacing her voice.

"I think it will present a nice opportunity for house-unity." Looking to his left, Draco was surprised to see Luna Lovegood standing next to him, holding her plate in her hands.

"Lovegood! There's my little firefly! How are you gorgeous?" Theo winked, flashing her with his trademark grin which made Draco groan in disgust. Nott was a hopeless flirt. If it had a vagina, he'd woo it within an inch of its life. Not that Luna wasn't unattractive, she was a sweet and pretty young woman so Draco couldn't blame Nott for his advances. Still, in Draco's eyes, Luna represented the whole idea of 'innocence', she was too kind to be messed around by Nott and his fuck boy routine.

"Did you know that some fireflies are in fact poisonous?" Luna asked as she sat down beside Draco, earning a smirk from him. It was a subtle warning, one that both Draco and Nott seemed to understand very well. Luna may be bright and warm, but she was lethal if you messed with her. Underneath that soft smile was a sinister snarl ready to strike.

Pansy snorted in amusement as Nott turned a few shades paler, moving his focus back to his meal and leaving Luna well enough alone. The rest of the meal passed exactly as Draco would have expected. Blaise and Theo messed around as per usual, while Daphne and Luna discussed the uses of various different potions and salves Draco had never heard of, while Pansy absent mindedly stared off into nowhere.

What he wasn't expecting was for some people to walk past them, muttering traitor under the breaths, but instead of their gazes being firmly planted on Draco, they were fixed on Luna. She ignored their remarks, seemingly not bothered by their cruel words and taunts. That sparked off some anger in Draco. It was one thing picking on him because of whose side he'd been on during the War, but targetting Lovegood for simply sitting with him was taking it too far. She was such a kind person, she didn't deserve that kind of abuse.

So the next time someone made a similar remark, this time it was a sixth year Ravenclaw boy, Draco abruptly stood up from the table and grabbed him by the collar, earning several gasps and even some cries of fear from the surrounding students. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see McGonagall marching down from the teacher's table towards him, but he didn't care. His attention was solely focused on the piece of crap trembling before him.

"G-Get off me!" The boy demanded, but there wasn't much authority in his voice, it was riddled and teaming with fear, as were his eyes, which darted left to right frantically.

"Apologise to her, and then I will." Draco snarled, his grip on the boy's collar tightening.

"I won't apologise to a traitor! I-It's her own fault for sitting with Death Eater scum like you!" The boy scoffed, a small amount of confidence returning to his voice. That's all it took for Draco to snap. He was on such a small tether, so tightly wound, it didn't take much to make him explode. His free hand was clenched and raised, ready to strike this boy right on his smug face. But a small hand suddenly grabbed his wrist mid-swing, stopping him from delivering a punch what would have easily broken the boy's nose.

Draco was expecting Lovegood to be the one who had stopped him. Maybe even McGonagall, but he was definitely not expecting to see Hermione Granger looking up at him with a soft and understanding gaze. Before he could have demanded she let him go, her hand was off him and her Gryffindor fire was now focused on the sixth-year.

"You heard him. Apologise." Hermione ordered, arms folding across her chest.

Disbelief spread across both the faces of Draco and the Ravenclaw boy. Neither of them could believe the words that had left Hermione's mouth, and apparently neither could the rest of the school. Murmurs erupted around them, several students whispering about how Hermione Granger was siding with a known Death Eater.

"Y-You can't be serious! He and his deranged Aunt tortured Luna! Yet she sits around him like they're best pals. She deserves to be labelled as a traitor after associating with the Malfoys! They deserve to rot and get the Kiss for what they've done." The boy snapped.

There was a silence in the Great Hall, even McGonagall had stopped dead in her tracks, the shock was clearly written across her face at the boy's words. Everyone seemed to be watching them now, but a soft, knowing smile spread across Hermione's face. She gently pulled Draco's hand off the boy's collar, stepping between them with her hands now resting on her hips.

"When a wolf's mate is threatened, she will rest her head beneath his to keep his neck safe from their attacker. It looks like she's cowering in fear, but in reality, she's doing everything she can, even throwing herself in harm's way, to protect the one she loves. A lioness will fight against impossible odds to protect her cubs, even if she knows she'll die in the process. Narcissa Malfoy did what she could to protect her husband and son, even if that meant living with the Snake under her roof. Lucius Malfoy was warped and twisted by fear, broken by Voldemort and forced to do unspeakable things or watch his family be tortured and killed in front of him. As for Draco, he was a child who was dragged into a War against his will, given the choice of serve or die. What would have done, in any of their shoes? Ravenclaws are supposed to be smart, so if you tell me you would have fought then you don't belong in your House. Before you judge someone, take a moment to consider what they've been through, instead of just thinking about yourself and your own biased viewpoint."

Hermione's words weren't interrupted by a single student, in fact, the whole Hall remained in silence for a while afterwards. The Ravenclaw boy hung his head in shame before retreating back to his table after giving Lovegood a much-deserved apology, as well as offering Draco one as well. His fellow housemates kept their distance, not wanting to associate with the boy who had been thoroughly told off by the Golden Girl.

Giving Lovegood a warm smile, Hermione patted her shoulder softly before heading out of the Great Hall. Draco paused a moment before following after her, ignoring the confused and rather shocked looks he got from several students: including Potter and Weasley.

"Granger!" He called, running over to her before grabbing her by the shoulder. She stopped, turning around to face him with a polite smile. Words suddenly failed him, so he offered his hand out to her, ready to shake if she so chose. She didn't hesitate in clasping his hand in hers, but the minute her bare skin hit his, he suddenly felt a wave of nausea and dizziness wash over him. He was suddenly falling to the ground, struggling to breathe, visions playing in his mind, things he'd never seen before but yet felt so familiar. One of them involved running his hand through Granger's hair before he kissed her passionately. After that, his vision went black and everything went numb.


	2. Chapter 2

**WORSHIP THE FLAME**

**Chapter One**

**Summary: **Two unlikely souls make a unique connection through a shared memory that neither of them can explain. Diving headfirst into the secrets that bind them, they resurface having bitten off a lot more than they can chew. When faced with unfathomable dangers, they must make a choice: sever the bind and stay alive, or risk everything to cherish even just one more second together.

**Author's Note: **Honestly, I was quite surprised by how well-received the first chapter was. So thank you all for the favourites, follows and reviews that you've given this story so far. As a reward, I've included a small amount of fluff at the end of this chapter. Thanks for sticking with me, hope you enjoy!

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o.O.o

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"I'm scared." Her voice didn't sound the same as it usually did. Normally she was so strong sounding, always overflowing with authority and confidence. Now, her voice was wobbling as she spoke, the threat of tears and sobs simmering very close to the surface.

"Of what?" He asked as he looked over at her. The sun made her skin look even more beautiful than it usually did. The way it made her milky skin practically sparkle under its soft rays. He wanted to reach over and hold her hand, comfort her as best as he could, but he knew she would never feel about him the same way he did for her. Their friendship was a miracle alone, asking for any semblance of romance was pushing his luck too far.

"Everything. Voldemort is out there somewhere, gaining more and more power as each day passes. What if we're not ready to fight him? What if something happens?" She sighed, letting her head fall to rest on her knees, which were pulled up against her chest. Her back rested up against the trunk of the tree they were sitting under, basking in the glow of the setting sun. It had been harder to meet this time. It was growing difficult thinking of new excuses to leave the Manor, as he knew sneaking out wouldn't end well.

It wasn't like anyone was going to understand, on his side of things or hers. He had no doubt that the majority of her friends would label her as a traitor, a sympathiser and throw her under the bus as a form of punishment. Those who were a bit closer to her probably wouldn't sell her out, but they'd treat her like an outcast for a fair amount of time merely for talking with him, let alone refer to him as her friend. What had they gotten into?

"I won't let anything happen to you, Granger. I promise." He whispered, keeping his gaze firmly planted on her. He'd die before he let anything happen to her. Even if she didn't feel the same way, he'd rather live in a world where she existed and his heart would forever ache for her, compared to a world that wasn't alight from her smile. He couldn't bear the thought of living without her, it was enough to make his heart hurt, it was unnaturally painful.

"Draco..." That was the first time she'd called him by his first name, and by Merlin did it make his heart face. He was gripping onto the grass beneath him like his life depended on it, feeling and hearing it tear from his tight grasp. It was taking him every ounce of strength he had within him not to lunge forward and kiss her, pour his heart out to her and tell her exactly how much he loved her.

It was harder to hold back when she lifted her gaze, hair messily falling over her shoulders, eyes and cheeks wet with tears. Slowly, hesitantly, his hand raised of its own accord and brushed her hair behind her ear before he wiped away her tears gently with his thumb. She didn't flinch, she didn't move away, she just sat there, eyes wide as they stared directly into his. It felt like she was looking straight into his soul, reading him like a book.

"D-Draco..." She repeated, bottom lip trembling slightly as she spoke. He needed to be put out of his misery or struck down by an almighty being, one or the other. It was impossible not to lean closer to her, hand still resting on her cheek as his thumb continued to caress the skin, amazed at how soft and smooth it was. Like silk, like rose petals, she was perfect.

She was only inches away from him now, and she hadn't pulled away or recoiled from him. Was it possible she felt the same for him? No. It couldn't be true, this was a dream, a dream he was going to wake up from with a heavy ache in his chest that could never be healed. She deserved better than him, but he was a Slytherin, and he was selfish. He wanted what he couldn't have, he wanted her and only her. She was the anchor that ground him to life. Without her, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't think, he couldn't smile.

"I don't...I mean I...you're...fuck it." He muttered, eyes searching hers for some kind of sign before he risked everything and closed the space between them, lips taking hers hostage, clinging to her as if his life depended on it. In reality, only a second passed between Draco kissing Hermione and her reacting, but it felt like an eternity. He felt as if he were falling, but when he felt her arms wrap around his neck and her lips return his heartfelt plea, it was as if he sprouted wings and was flying.

"Don't leave me. Not now. Please. Don't leave." She whispered against his lips, more tears cascading down her cheeks. Moving his other hand to rest upon her other cheek, he lifted her gaze to look at him, his eyes locking with hers as a newfound resolve hit him.

"Never."

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A desperate gasp of breath left his lips as he bolted back into the conscious world, lungs frantically trying to take in as much oxygen as they could. What the hell was that?! Covering his face with his hands, he let out a long groan. Something was seriously wrong with him if he was having wet dreams about Hermione Granger of all people.

"You're awake. I'm so relieved." A familiar, soft voice gasped. Moving his hands down, Draco's confusion only increased when he saw Luna Lovegood sitting beside his bed. What was she doing in his room? Wait. He didn't even know where his dorm was, McGonagall had yet to show them. The last thing he could remember was Granger teaching a pompous Ravenclaw a well-deserved lesson and going to thank her. He'd shook her hand, and then…

Then he'd seen himself kissing her, the exact same vision that he'd just dreamt of. The second his hand had touched hers, he felt sick and dizzy, like the air had been sucked out of his lungs and he was suffocating. What the hell had happened to him? It didn't take long for Draco to establish he was not in his private dorm, but instead, he was firmly settled in one of the infirmary beds. Had Granger taken him there after he passed out?

"Lovegood, what happened?" Draco asked.

"You don't remember? Maybe you hit your head too hard. I have the perfect salve if you've got a headache. Then again, it could be Wrackspurts. I remember when you and Harry had a spat in the sixth year on the train and his nose was broken..." Luna started.

"Lovegood. As much as I love reminiscing over the pain I've inflicted upon Potter, I would very much like to know why I'm in the infirmary." Draco stated, interrupting her before she could continue any further. Offering him an apologetic smile, she stood up.

"Well, I don't know the full story. I saw you leave the Great Hall to go and talk to Hermione. About ten minutes passed and you hadn't come back, I thought you might have gone to the loo. Another ten minutes went by and you still hadn't returned. I asked Blaise to come with me to look for you, and when we stepped outside we saw you and Hermione laying on the floor, unconscious. She'd fallen on top of you, so she had no injuries, but your head was bleeding, I'm guessing from the fall. I was so worried about you both." Luna explained, a pained expression on her face as she spoke of the events that transpired.

Draco's brows furrowed in confusion towards the latter of her explanation. Granger had been found unconscious too? That didn't make sense. Unless had the Ravenclaw boy struck them with some kind of hex to get back at them for embarrassing him in front of the whole school? Draco's back had been to the Great Hall, so he wouldn't have seen anyone approach. But Granger would have been able to see whoever attacked them, she was certainly no beginner when it came to duelling. It would take a lot to knock her out.

As much as he wanted to believe an attack was the answer, Draco seriously doubted it. Like most people who had fought in the War, Granger was likely paranoid and still expecting someone to jump out of the shadows and go for her. A simple hex would have been swiftly dealt with, and the culprit would have soon learned no one bested Hermione Granger.

So if it hadn't been an attack, why had they both passed out? From what Luna described, Draco was able to determine they'd hit the ground at roughly the same time. If Granger had been awake longer than him, that Gryffindor selflessness would have lead her back to the Great Hall to try and get some help. She would have been found further away, not right on top of him. So, whatever had triggered their joint visit to the realm of unconsciousness, it worked fast. He didn't even remember seeing her fall, and he was willing to put money on the fact she probably didn't remember seeing him even hit the ground.

"Did Madame Pomfrey say anything about what might have caused this?" Draco inquired, pushing himself up into a seated position. It was then he saw Granger laying in the bed across from him. She was still out of the count, but it was clear to see she was paler than normal, and her fists were clenching the bed sheets tightly. Looking down, he gritted his teeth when he saw the marks in the covers from where his nails had been digging into them. What was happening to them? And more importantly, why was it happening?

"No. As far as she can tell, you weren't attacked or hit with any kind of spell, so it doesn't seem anyone was trying to hurt you. But..." He noticed the concerned look in her eyes, the way her voice wavered slightly towards the end of her sentence, and how she couldn't look him dead in the eye. Something was up. Something was seriously wrong.

"But? Please Lovegood, I need to know what's going on with me." Draco sighed. There was a slight pause from Luna before she sat back down again, placing her hands over one of his as she looked him in the eye, just like she'd done on the train earlier that day. Only this time, her hands stayed where they were and didn't make a bee-line towards his dark mark.

Then out of the blue, she slapped him, right across the cheek. Having not expected it, his head swung to his left, while his jaw dropped and his eyes widened in shock. As he went to look back to Luna, yell at her and demand to know what the hell she was playing at, he noticed there was a change to Hermione's position. Before she'd had her head rested on the pillow so that her face was facing her left, but now she was facing the right instead.

Leaning forward, eyes squinted ever so slightly to allow him to focus more, he could see a red mark starting to form on Hermione's right cheek, one that was in the shape of a small handprint. Even from this distance, he knew that it matched Luna's hand perfectly.

"That's impossible."

"And yet it's happening. Draco, no one can explain why, but for some reason, you appear to be physically linked with Hermione. At first, we thought it was just because you had the same symptoms so therefore you must be suffering from the same things. But when you cried out in pain, so did Hermione. More than once." Luna whispered softly, trying to add some level of discretion to their discussion, considering there were other patients present.

Glancing back at Granger, Draco couldn't help but feel a wave of guilt wash over him. Had it been because he'd touched her? Was she suffering because he had some kind of curse on him, and it leaked into her as well? He wouldn't put it past one of his fellow students to try and curse him, hell, anyone with a wand and a grudge among the Wizarding community could have done it. If it even was a curse, of course. He couldn't jump to conclusions, not when he had very little information to go off. No, if he was going to figure out what was happening to him, and by extension – Granger, he needed to get to the truth.

A further week passed and there was no word about Granger's condition improving. From what he'd overheard Potter and Weasley discussing, she was still out for the count and they were very much laying blame on him for the whole situation. Luna would update him as often as she could, as the young woman seemed to visit Hermione every day after classes. She would even join Draco in the library during their shared free periods to research as to what could have caused this strange ailment to occur.

Nothing had come up that held any ground. Hell, he'd even turned to Muggle books about illnesses and disease, but nothing seemed to offer him an explanation as to why he and Granger seemed to be linked. This whole ordeal was driving him crazy. He couldn't sleep, he barely ate and socialised even less than that. Lovegood had offered to make him a potion to help him sleep, but he'd politely declined. He needed to spend every moment he had available looking into this mystery before him and find a way to fix it before something worse happened than simply passing out.

Lovegood had said whenever he cried out in pain, Granger had too. So what if someone got the stupid idea to use the Cruciatus curse on him? Would she feel its effects as well? It made him think about physical wounds too. If he cut his hand, would her body create a mirror wound of what had been inflicted upon him, with potentially fatal consequences?

"Malfoy. We need to talk. Now." A stern voice all but snarled at him. Looking up from his place at the Slytherin table, where he'd been enjoying his dinner, Draco sighed when he saw Potter and Weasley staring at him like he was the devil incarnate. Settling his cutlery down onto his place, Draco offered no resistance and stood up, following the pair out of the Great Hall. But when Lovegood's arm linked around his, he actually felt relieved.

"Luna, this doesn't involve you. We just need to speak to Malfoy." Ron hissed over his shoulder, glaring at Luna with eyes of pure venom. Hardly surprising, considering how much she'd embarrassed him on the train at the start of term. Still, she was meant to be his friend, and he was talking to her in such a belittling tone, it angered Draco.

"I don't trust you to have a civil conversation with my friend, Ronald. And considering that you struck Draco with a Sectumsempra in our sixth year, Harry, without thinking what damage it could cause, I'm not inclined to think you'll be well mannered either. So I won't be leaving, and if you don't like it, then tough." Luna stated with a soft smile.

Once again, she was so softly spoken, it was hard to think she was capable of getting angry or upset with anyone. But there was an undertone to her voice, a well-established place of authority. She was not going to budge, and no one was going to be able to make her.

Potter and Weasley exchanged glances for a few moments before they both let out long sighs and continued guiding Draco out of the Great Hall. After a few moments, they came to a stop in the corridor before Weasley opened the door to a broom closest.

"If you wanted to play seven minutes in heaven, you should have just asked." Draco smirked, brow raised in amusement. Potter rolled his eyes, Weasley turned red from what Draco could only assume was uncontrollable rage, possibly mixed with a little embarrassment as well, while Luna let out a soft giggle at his remark.

Quietly, the four entered and the door closed behind them. While it was a little cramped, there was enough space for each person to have a few feet of personal space surrounding them. Shortly following an awkward silence, and nervous glances at Luna, Potter spoke.

"I know we haven't always seen eye to eye Malfoy, but you came through for us at the Manor a year ago. You knew perfectly well who I was, but you didn't say anything. So I'm inclined to believe our spiteful, childhood rival days are behind you. I want an honest answer from you: did you have any involvement in what happened to Hermione?" Harry asked, arms folded across his chest the entire time he spoke.

Images of what happened in the Manor flashed across Draco's mind. Potter's swollen face, Weasley struggling furiously against the Death Eaters, Granger's screams. His heart tightened in his chest at that particular memory. Her screams had broken him, made him feel ill. He'd actually gone to the bathroom to be sick after his Aunt had finally stopped. She was just a kid back then, they all were. Children forced into fighting a monster's war.

He'd hoped by delaying Voldemort's arrival, that maybe Potter and Weasley could escape, that they would kill that maniac and the War would end. Thankfully, his wishes had come true, but now he couldn't even enter that room in the Manor any more. Not after what happened to Granger in there, among countless more of Voldemort's victims.

"No involvement of my own accord, Potter. I've been trying to figure out what caused us both to pass out simultaneously so I can sever whatever connection there is between us. As much as I enjoy seeing her put you two in your places, the idea of feeling the sting on my hand every time she slaps one of you will start to lose it's the appeal." Draco shrugged.

"You don't seriously expect us to believe that bullshit, do you ferret?! I promise I will find out what you did to Hermione, and I will make you pay for it." Ron snarled, then stormed out of the broom closet, slamming the door behind him before anyone could protest.

The loud slam could probably be heard from a fair distance, so any privacy they had would soon be interrupted by curious first years, or worse, Filch. He didn't particularly fancy explaining what he and Potter were doing in a broom closet is Luna Lovegood. He could only imagine the type of rumours that would begin to spread regarding it. So the small group left the closest and started walking back towards the Great Hall.

"While I'm inclined to believe you had no intentional involvement with what happened, Malfoy, I want you to know if any harm comes to Hermione because of this, I'm holding you personally responsible. If you learn anything new, please tell me." Potter stated softly then left Draco and Luna as they re-entered the Great Hall to join Ron at the Gryffindor table, while he and Luna went back to their original places at the Slytherin table.

Naturally, his friends were very curious about what Potter and Weasley had discussed with him, and why Weasley looked like his head was about to blow off his shoulders. A brief explanation was given, as by this point he was rather tired and just wanted to go to bed.

But as he was walking back to to the eighth-year common room, Draco stopped dead in his tracks. It was idiotic, foolish, but he had a theory he wanted to test out. Turning around, he headed back down a set of stairs and made his way to the infirmary. When he got there, the silence was overwhelming, save for the odd cough or groan here or there.

Slowly he began walking over to Granger's bed. She was still in the same position as the last time he'd seen her, the red mark on her cheek was now completely gone. Sitting down beside the bed, he looked over her briefly, eyes moving down to her hand as it rested by her side. Slowly, Draco moved his hand before placing it over hers.

The same feeling of nausea and dizziness came over him again, but the moment he pulled his hand away it faded, gone in the blink of an eye. What the hell was happening?! Brows furrowing, Draco stood up and leaned over Granger, trying to gauge if she'd had some kind of reaction to the brief physical contact they'd shared. Her brows were also furrowed, but other than that she hadn't moved or made any sound.

But then the memory, the dream he'd had earlier that week came crashing back. His mind was flooded with flashing images of their lips connected, the feeling that pounded through his entire being when they'd shared that kiss, how it felt like he was flying.

"I must be out of my fucking mind..." Draco muttered. Taking a deep breath, he moved his hand to rest upon her cheek, confused as to why he didn't feel any nausea like he'd done before. But then he remembered when Granger's hand had grabbed his wrist before to stop him from punching the Ravenclaw that insulted Luna, he hadn't felt any kind of sickness or dizziness. Was it just touching her hand that was causing the sensation?

Moving his head to hover just inches above her, Draco bit his bottom lip before steeling his unexplainable and ridiculous nerves, forcing himself to close the gap between them. The second, the instant his lips touched hers, his mind was flooded with even more images, new ones than what he'd seen before. Granger chasing after him in the rain through the forbidden forest, wrapping his arms around her from behind as he kissed her neck. The images faded when Granger's eyes snapped open and she took a large inhale of breath.

"Y-You...you broke your promise..." She panted before her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she slipped back into the unconscious world. Two seconds later, he joined her.


	3. Chapter 3

**WORSHIP THE FLAME**

**Chapter Three**

**Summary: **Two unlikely souls make a unique connection through a shared memory that neither of them can explain. Diving headfirst into the secrets that bind them, they resurface having bitten off a lot more than they can chew. When faced with unfathomable dangers, they must make a choice: sever the bind and stay alive, or risk everything to cherish even just one more second together.

**Author's Note: PLEASE READ!** So far I'm managing to keep up with my promise of uploading every Sunday, but I will mention this may change in December. Not only will there be Christmas, but I will also be celebrating my 22nd birthday. So, updates may be a little delayed in December, but I'll do my best. Oh, I'm also on Wattpad now, under the same username, so if you'd be willing to support me there as well, it would mean a lot!

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o.O.o

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It was raining and thundering like the end of the world was coming. Occasionally a flash of lightning would light up the forbidden forest, casting rather haunting shadows all around him. Despite the dangers, he refused to stop running, even though his legs were screaming as pain burned through his muscles. He couldn't stop now, not after what had happened.

"_BOMBARDA!_" He barely had a second to register what that meant for him. His stomach dropped as he was launched up into the air, flipping several times before he came crashing back down to the ground, letting out a pained grunt as his back made the first impact. That was definitely going to leave a nasty, unwanted bruise in the morning. If he survived.

Before he could even attempt to get up, she was above him, pinning him to the ground by straddling him before she punched him straight on the nose. Talk about a sense of deja vu.

"You bastard! I _trusted _you, and you fucking used me!" She screamed, tears pouring down her cheeks. Even though it was raining cats and dogs, he could clearly define her tears from the raindrops cascading down her face. She was distraught and broken-hearted.

"I never used you! I swear, I never planned on…" He started, raising his hands to try and show her he didn't mean any kind of harm, that he was being genuine. But she cut him off.

"Planned on tricking me into falling in love with you?! Sleeping with me?! Using me to fix a cabinet that will help Death Eaters into the Castle?! Harry was right this whole time! I should have listened to him, I never should have done this!" Hermione sobbed, her head falling forwards, wet hair cascading over her shoulders in soaking bunches.

"...**_I _**never planned on falling in love with **_you_**." He whispered, slowly pushing himself up into a seated position, hands reaching up to rest upon her cheeks as he brushed her hair away from her face, wiping away her tears with his thumbs slowly and tenderly.

The way she looked at him, eyes wide and brimming with tears, it broke his heart. Leaning forward, he kissed her with everything he had, every ounce of his being, like she was the oxygen he needed to breathe in order to survive. Her whole form tensed, but after a few seconds, he could feel her relax and melt into the kiss, her fingers grabbing hold of his shoulders and pulling him flush against her chest.

Even though it was still raining, Draco didn't want to leave this spot. If he could have it his way, he'd spend the rest of his life reliving this moment on a loop, just being with her, giving her everything he had, because all he would ever need or want in life was her.

"W-What the hell am I meant to do, Draco?" She stuttered, pulling away from him softly, looking directly into his eyes, her voice wobbling and breaking as she spoke.

"Save me."

**.**

"I'm starting to sense a pattern." Lovegood's soft voice sighed from beside him. Groaning softly, Draco opened his eyes and sat up, irritated to find himself once again in the infirmary. However, this time, Granger wasn't in the bed opposite, in fact, he couldn't see her anywhere in his field of vision. Where the hell had she gone?

"I'm guessing you figured something out?" A second voice asked. Looking to his left, Draco noticed none other than Harry Potter standing at his bedside. You could say that. But how did he explain that to the Golden Girl's best friend? How did he put his little experiment into words that wouldn't result in getting himself beaten to a pulp?

"I wanted to test a theory, to see how far this whole thing goes. Granger grabbed my wrist in the Great Hall to stop me from punching that Ravenclaw boy and nothing happened. But the minute she touched my hand we both passed out. I came here to see if that was the same...for other parts. I touched her hand and it made me feel sick and dizzy instantly, but as soon as I removed contact I felt completely fine." Draco explained, trying to recall his findings and explain them to Potter without coming across as creepy or perverted.

He wasn't surprised to see Potter's expression change numerous times during his explanation. The suggestion of touching Granger was met with shock and anger, whilst the knowledge of knowing that whenever Draco seemed to touch her hand he suddenly felt ill comforted Harry somewhat. Taking a deep breath, Harry sat down in an empty seat.

"So, whenever you touch Hermione's hand you become dizzy, feel sick and if the contact is long enough, you pass out. That's a proven fact. But from what you've explained, it seems like placing your hand elsewhere on her body, or vice versa, doesn't have the same effect." Harry mused, going over what Draco had said to process it in more detail.

"It seems so. I touched her cheek, but nothing happened, I felt completely fine. I only passed out after I..." Draco started, only to cut himself off mid sentence when the memory of his conscious decision to kiss Hermione Granger flooded his senses. What the hell had he been thinking? And why had it felt so...nice?

"After you what, Malfoy?" Harry asked, his expression growing more and more concerned, not to mention irate by the second. Pausing, Draco desperately tried to think of something else, a plausible explanation as to why he would have passed out after touching Granger.

The dreams and the kiss was something he wanted to keep to himself until he understood this 'condition' better. And then there was Granger's statement, the little sentence she'd panted out at him before passing out: he'd broken his promise. What did she know? He needed to find her and confront her about what she'd said. Maybe she held a piece of information that would solve this mystery, whether she knew the cause or not.

"Don't get your knickers in a twist, Potter. I didn't do anything untoward. I just wanted to eliminate all possible options, so I put my fingers on her lips and then everything went black. So I assume, whatever this is, it's trying to cut off any means of affection. Holding hands, kissing, that kind of thing." Draco sighed, rolling his eyes.

"But why is it trying to cut off affection between you and Hermione? Last I checked, while you're no longer calling her that vile word, you're not exactly best pals." Harry enquired, his brows furrowing as his thought process probably went off the wall.

"Your guess is as good as mine. Whoever did this obviously knows something we're in the dark about, and prevented affection for a reason. It may be linked to the means of curing whatever the hell this thing is." Draco muttered, reaching over for a glass of water. Bringing the cup to his lip, he started drinking the liquid, a sense of satisfaction and relieve washing over him as it wet his throat. He hadn't realised how thirsty he was.

"Like true love's kiss!" Luna suddenly gasped, causing Draco to spit out the water in his mouth, drenching Potter in the process. He knew she was off her fucking rocker! It seemed Potter felt the same way, as his jaw was agape and his expression was one of pure disbelief, in fact, he didn't appear to care that Draco had sprayed him with a mixture of water and saliva. He was far more busy trying to comprehend Luna's suggestion.

No. It was definitely not 'true love's kiss'. He and Granger couldn't have been more different if they tried. But he couldn't help but think about the images he'd seen, the dreams he'd had, how they'd made him feel both in the dream and out of it. When he'd kissed Granger, he'd felt exactly the same way, no matter how brief the feeling was, before passing out. How was that even possible? How could he feel that way for someone he knew nothing about, someone he'd barely spent five minutes of his life conversing with in total.

Besides, he wasn't her type. She preferred men like Weasley apparently, although from what he'd read in an article in the Daily Prophet, the pair had ended things shortly following Voldemort's defeat for reasons neither one was willing to go into. Why would she ever be attracted to someone like him, a man who had tormented her most of her life?

"I don't think that's the case in this particular scenario Luna." Harry muttered, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand awkwardly. She merely pursed her lips off to the left and shrugged, standing up before giving Draco a hug and skipped out of the infirmary.

He wasn't exactly sure when Luna Lovegood had decided to worm her way into his life, but Draco couldn't bring himself to hate it. The fact she was so kind and understanding towards him was a luxury not many people were willing to give him freely. Potter was an outstanding example of that fact. Their civility was based purely on Potter's concern for Hermione. If this whole thing had never happened, they wouldn't be speaking right now.

Sighing softly, Draco leaned back against his pillows and cast one look at Harry, who had only just seemed to notice the water that was drenching his hair, face and neck. The glare he presented Draco with was met with innocent batting of his eyes and a shrug. Rolling his eyes, Harry stood up and started making his way out of the infirmary.

"Potter, wait! Where is Granger? I...I think it's a good idea the two of us have a chat." Draco called out, hoping that Harry would agree. For whatever reason, this 'curse' was affecting both Draco and Hermione. They needed to compare thoughts, and memories, to try and find a common connection between them, a reason as to why this was happening.

"I'll tell her you're asking for her, and suggest she go to see you, but whether she will or not I can't make any promises. If she says no, just give her time. This is as confusing for her as it is for you." Harry sighed, then left the infirmary without another word. Well, that was something. It seemed that Potter did have some common sense after all.

**.**

She didn't show. He wasn't surprised, just disappointed. He figured someone like Hermione Granger, a curious academic, would want to know the reason for their predicament. The idea of solving this mystery all by himself wasn't exactly filling him with joy. Having someone with her intelligence and resourcefulness helping him would prove useful in the long run, and no doubt cut down the time it took to find the answer behind this. Regardless, he hesitantly stuck to his deal with Potter to give Granger time.

She was probably just processing, making sense of it all, knowing her. So when Madame Pomfrey gave him the all-clear and discharged him, at eight in the evening, he headed back to the eighth year common room, which the Room of Requirement had kindly provided them with. To any other students, it would still present them with whatever they needed, but to the eighth years, it would always appear as their common room. It even had a password: Occamy, to allow them to get inside.

As Luna had so eloquently put it, the eighth year common room was very 'unity' themed. All the house colours were littered across the room, adding elements from all the other common rooms into one. There was a grand fireplace similar to what he'd been told resided in the Gryffindor common room, surrounded with plush red and gold sofas and chairs. The walls were completely composed of bookshelves, and on either side of the fireplace were staircases that led up to a higher level where several desks and tables rested, allowing for a more secluded place to study just like the Ravenclaws had in their common room. The ceiling was charmed just like the one in the Great Hall, reflecting the weather outside, a trait the Hufflepuff common room was rumoured to have had. But sometimes it would change to look like it was under the black lake, just like the Slytherin common room.

The bedrooms were up a set of stairs and to the left for boys, while the girls were on the right. Draco's room was similar to those he'd had during his years in the Slytherin dormitories, a medley of Green and Silver, with blacks and greys making up the rest.

When Draco muttered the password to the large portrait of Albus Dumbledore that rested beside the large doors, they swung open and allowed him to walk inside without issue. Unsurprisingly, the common room was buzzing with activity. The Gryffindors were huddled around the fireplace, laughing and chatting amongst themselves while the Ravenclaws were working in their little study area, now doubt ploughing through their homework. His fellow Slytherins were settled off to one corner, laid out on a black leather corner sofa, conversing quietly to one another, but looking like they were having a good time. The Hufflepuffs were wandering around, engaging with everyone and anyone.

Lovegood was the first person to greet him. Leaping up from a table on the upper level, she ran down the staircase and almost knocked him over when she embraced him. Gently patting her back, he tried to avoid the stares he was getting from his fellow students.

"I'm glad you're feeling better Draco. I took notes from potions and wrote them down on a piece of parchment so you wouldn't fall behind." Luna stated, smiling up at him kindly.

"O-Oh, thanks Lovegood." Draco stuttered. Her generosity still surprised him. He couldn't fathom why she was so intent on being his friend and being so sweet to him. He was willing to bet none of his friends had taken down notes for him, but Lovegood had gone out of her way to ensure he had the information he needed from his missed classes.

That's when Hermione came down from the staircase that led to the dormitories, and their eyes locked for the first time in a week. Both stood there, staring at the other for a few good seconds before Hermione averted her gaze and rushed back up the stairs. If Draco didn't know better, he could have sworn she was blushing. Gently prying Luna off him, he slowly walked over to the staircase, trying not to draw any unwanted attention to himself. Now all he had to do was figure out which dorm Granger was in.

"M-Malfoy? C-Can I talk to you?" A voice stuttered from behind him. Turning around, Draco tensed when he saw Lavender stepping out of what he presumed was her room.

"Sure." He nodded. Sweet Merlin, she was going to hex him. He didn't know why his brain jumped to that conclusion, but he had this awful feeling spreading in his gut that he wasn't going to leave this encounter unscathed.

After she opened her bedroom door wide enough for him to enter, he walked inside and stood in the middle of the room awkwardly, not sure whether he should stand or sit. Brown's room was very similar to his, only instead of greens and silvers, it was red and gold. The four-poster double bed had been neatly made, her robes for the next day folded on top of the trunk that rested by the foot of the bed.

The door closed softly behind him and Lavender gestured for him to sit down on the chair that rested by her desk, while she opted to sit down on the bed. A long and awkward silence passed between them before Lavender took a deep breath and finally spoke.

"W-Would it be alright if I sent an owl to your Father, to thank him?" Lavender asked.

Well, that was certainly not what he'd been expecting. The shock must have been apparent because a soft smile spread across Lavender's lips and she bowed her head as she looked down at her fingers, twiddling them nervously on her lap.

"I don't know if you're aware of what happened to me during the Battle of Hogwarts, but I was attacked by a werewolf called Fenrir Greyback. While he didn't turn me, I do have lupine tendencies now, like Ron's older brother Bill. It's not as big of a life change as being a werewolf would be, but that doesn't mean it's not a struggle to cope with. About a month after your Father turned himself in to the authorities, he gave them information that led to Greyback's capture." Lavender started, keeping her gaze firmly on her hands.

Draco recalled reading the news in the Prophet. Greyback had definitely been a priority for the Ministry to locate, given how dangerous he was. In the wake of Voldemort's defeat, he'd taken up kidnapping Muggle-born witches and wizards, torturing them before he would either turn them or kill them, sometimes even both. A lot of people, himself included, were overjoyed to hear that he'd finally been caught and locked away.

"That was the first time I fell asleep without being afraid he would come back and finish the job, so I just wanted to write to your Father and thank him personally for his help in arresting Greyback. B-But, I wanted to ask you if that would be alright first." Lavender sighed nervously, brushing her hair behind her ears, looking up at Draco with a soft gaze.

"Brown, you don't need my permission to write to my Father. In fact, I think it would mean a lot to him if you did. He's...he's trying to make amends and help however he can." Draco stated softly, standing up from the chair to leave her room.

"Malfoy. I just want you to know, I never blamed you for Dumbledore's death, and I wish people would stop being so cruel to you. If you ever need someone to talk to, well, I'd be happy to lend an ear. If you don't mind me having to eat raw meat while I do that is." Lavender scoffed, an embarrassed laugh leaving her lips.

First Lovegood, now Brown. Maybe people were willing to see him as something other than a Death Eater. Both these young women had been affected by his family in some way. While Luna's had been awful, Lavender seemed to have been helped by his Father. His actions had led to her attacker being captured, and giving her peace of mind. Even Potter had admitted how he'd appreciated Draco's efforts back in the Manor, keeping his identity a mystery for as long as possible. Was it possible, could he really have a normal life?

"I might take you up on that offer, thanks, Brown. And, same here." Draco nodded, then left the room, closing the door softly behind him. The world must be coming to a fucking end because he was getting chummy with Luna Lovegood and Lavender Brown.

Turning to head further up the stairs, Draco was met with a head of bushy hair slamming into his chest. Grunting in discomfort, he pushed his hands up against the wall to prevent himself from falling backwards. He'd taken far too many tumbles in one week for his liking. Adding any more to his collection was just going to start pissing him off.

"O-Oh, I'm so sorry..." The woman pressed up against his chest gasped, but he felt her physically tense against him when she looked up to meet his gaze. Hermione Granger had a shit poker face. But, despite the uncomfortable throb in his chest, he was glad to see her. Now he had her cornered with nowhere to go, she would have to answer his questions.

"I'd be more thankful for an apology, and an explanation as to why you didn't come and see me today as I asked." Draco scoffed, hands still spread out either side of him, hands pushed up against the stone walls, preventing Hermione from descending any further.

"I was busy. And I'm not at your beck and call, Malfoy. So if you'll excuse me." Granger huffed, attempting to move past him, only to have him step in front of her, blocking her escape. He wasn't having any of it. He was going to get answers.

What did she know? Had she been looking into this connection between them? If so, had she found anything out that could be of use to them? What promise had he broken, which he seemed to have no memory of making? Why was she avoiding him, and why was she blushing upon seeing him? Even more, questions were floating around his head, but he figured they could be asked at a later date, they weren't as pressing as these were.

"You know something, Granger, whether you realise it or not, about what's going on between us." Draco stated, his voice harsher and colder than he would have liked it to be.

"There is nothing going on between us Malfoy, now move out of my way." Granger spat.

"That's a fucking lie, and you know it. I would have thought you'd want to fix whatever the hell is going on so we can go our separate ways rather than worrying about passing out if I shake your hand. So why are you avoiding me, and why won't you look me in the eye?" Draco asked, moving in front of her once again to stop her trying to slip past him. So she turned around and ran back up the stairs.

He was hot on her heels, following her until she reached her door and rushed inside. Before she could have even thought about slamming the door shut behind her, he pushed it open and stormed inside, shutting it swiftly behind him. The Witch took no hesitation in pulling her wand out and aiming it directly at his throat, her breathing heavy and frantic. A smirk slowly spread across Draco's face, he wasn't at all threatened by her and for a very good reason, one he was pretty sure she was aware of as well.

"You're not going to use that on me." Draco scoffed.

"And what makes you so sure of that?" Hermione snarled, taking a step closer so the tip of her wand was now pressed against his Adam's apple.

"Because you know full well, whatever you hit me with, you'll feel too." Draco hissed.

He could see her jaw clench in frustration before she lowered her wand, loudly groaning in frustration before kicking a nearby stack of books. Well, she was fucking riled. Normally, the book worshipper Hermione Granger would never defile her precious books. This whole situation had her worked up, more than him. He was sure at this point she'd been trying to find an answer, an explanation, but had come up with nothing, just like him.

"Granger, when you passed out did you see anything? Any visions?" Draco asked, taking a step towards her. Instantly her cheeks turned bright pink and she took three steps back, coming to a stop when her back hit one of the posts of her bed.

"N-No. The last thing I remember is shaking your hand, and then waking up a week later." Hermione shrugged, arms folding across her chest.

Draco was certain she was lying. She'd definitely seen something, her body language was a dead giveaway. She was avoiding direct eye contact with him, her breathing was abnormally high and she was stuttering, not to mention the bright pink tint to her cheeks.

"Liar. Tell me what you saw Granger."

"No." She shook her head furiously, her cheeks turning brighter by the second.

"I'm not asking. I want out of whatever shit show we've been forced into, and the only way I can make that happen is by getting some honest answers out of you. So start talking." Her bottom lip was trembling, exactly as it had done in the first vision he'd had of her after passing out. Ten seconds passed before she caved, before she gave in.

"I saw you. We were talking, and then you kissed me...and I kissed you back." She sighed.


	4. Chapter 4

**WORSHIP THE FLAME**

**Chapter Four**

**Summary: **Two unlikely souls make a unique connection through a shared memory that neither of them can explain. Diving headfirst into the secrets that bind them, they resurface having bitten off a lot more than they can chew. When faced with unfathomable dangers, they must make a choice: sever the bind and stay alive, or risk everything to cherish even just one more second together.

**Author's Note: **I'm sorry this was uploaded a day late - we had internet issues and I was unable to get online. There's fluff ahead, but unfortunately, Draco and Hermione are going to learn a hard lesson about what happens why you try and break the rules.

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o.O.o

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As Hermione Granger's hands slowly moved down his bare arms, Draco couldn't help but wonder if someone had sent him to an alternate universe, because the woman he'd grown up with wouldn't even consider touching him like this. But her academic mind had gotten the better of her, curiosity sparking off a fire that only knowledge could put out. Still, it was concerning him how nice the feeling of her skin on his actually felt.

"It seems like you're right. I can't touch your hands or your lips without feeling sick or dizzy, but practically every other patch of skin doesn't have any kind of effect on me." Hermione mused, pulling away from him and bit her bottom lip as she processed her findings. Pulling down his sleeves, Draco felt his heart tighten when her gaze fell on the Dark Mark. His gaze subconsciously went to her forearm, landing on the spot where the word 'Mudblood' had been carved into her arm by his Aunt Bellatrix. Like him, it seemed she wasn't comfortable showing her war wounds, as it was hidden by her cardigan.

"And whenever we do share physical contact on those places, we pass out and have strange dreams involving one another." Draco added, to which Hermione nodded in agreement.

After her declaration that she'd shared the same vision he'd had earlier that week, Draco abandoned any doubts he had that this was all one strange coincidence. They were both plagued by the same symptoms and dreams, and she came to the same conclusion he had: they needed to work together to figure out what the hell was going on between them.

Figuring out all their 'weak spots', as they'd come to dub them, had been their first port of call. The last thing either of them wanted was to accidentally bump shoulders and end up passing out in the corridor on their way to class. Anything involving their hands was a no.

Draco decided to keep the whole kissing Hermione whilst she was unconscious incident to himself, opting to tell her the same lie he'd told Potter until he could muster up the courage and strength to deal with her wrath. So, she'd done the same to him, placing her fingers to his lips only to recoil almost instantly, confirming that they'd made her feel just as nauseous and sick as he'd felt when 'touching' hers. At that point in time, he'd decided to share his theory with her: that any form of affection between them was being prevented because it may well be the key to finding out how to fix it. Unlike Potter, she didn't seem to be disgusted by the thought, in fact, she seemed to agree with his suggestions.

"Maybe we can find a loophole." Hermione muttered, getting to her feet and walked over to her wardrobe. Raising a brow, Draco watched her curiously as she rummaged around inside the large wooden structure. They'd decided sitting on the floor was probably best while 'experimenting', that way if they did pass out they wouldn't hurt themselves from the fall. Originally Hermione had offered him a seat on her bed, but he'd pointed out it might look suspicious if someone walked in and saw them out for the count on her bed. Her offer was instantly retracted, and her cheeks had instantly turned fifty shades of red.

"What do you mean by a loophole, Granger?" Draco asked, remaining seated on the floor.

"If this is a curse, then it may be incredibly complex, or stupidly simple. Sometimes, the effects of curses are only felt when the person can see what's happening. With your permission, I'd like to blindfold you and test that theory and see what we're dealing with: complex, or simple." Hermione explained, returning to sit down in front of him.

In her hands was a sleeping mask, with the most ridiculous design on it he'd ever seen. Instead of being a plain black design, she'd opted to get one that had half of a cat's face printed across it, the eyes being abnormally huge and the nose incredibly small. It had ears coming off it as well, what function did they serve?! It was the ugliest thing he'd ever seen in his entire life, and now she wanted him to wear it.

Removing his tie, he wrapped it around his head to cover his eyes. There was no way in hell he was putting that piece of trash on his face. He'd much rather lick one of Weasley's socks. He heard Granger sigh before he felt her move closer to him.

"If you feel like you're going to pass out, just tell me to stop, alright?" She instructed. He nodded, waiting in the darkness for her to get on with it. But his entire body tensed when he felt her rolling his sleeves back up. The pause that followed made him certain she was looking at the Mark. That in itself was enough to make him feel sick.

But he ignored the horrible feeling in his stomach and remained silent, flinching slightly when her hands finally came to rest upon his wrists, moving up his forearms like she'd done the first time. He did feel something this time, but it certainly wasn't nausea.

That strange sense of comfort he'd felt the first time her hands had touched his arms seemed amplified now that his sight had been removed. He felt his hairs stand up on end, and a strange sensation move down his spine, causing him to shiver ever so slightly. Granger noticed and removed her hands almost instantly, but he encouraged her to continue, that he was simply a bit cold and not feeling sick or dizzy. How many times was he going to lie to this woman before he had the nerve to tell her the truth that this was actually quite arousing? Probably for several years, at the very least, he imagined.

Now her hands were on his neck, so she could probably feel how fast his pulse was beating through the veins resting beneath her palms. His breath hitched in his throat as that strange sensation moved down his spine once more. Alright, discovering you have a kink for being blindfolded was one thing, but having Hermione Granger to be the person to unlock that kink was a bit awkward. Could this get any worse?

Apparently it could. In the blink of an eye, he felt Hermione shuffle so she was kneeling between his legs before he felt her hands rest on his shoulders and her breath against his neck. Instantly, without even thinking about it, his hands reached out and grabbed her waist, pulling her flush against him, which earned a gasp from the young Witch.

"M-Malfoy, what are you doing?" Granger stuttered. Her face was right next to his, he could feel how close she was, feel her breath tickle against his throat.

"Trust me, Granger, I didn't do that of my own accord. Whatever you're doing, it's triggering something that I don't have any control over." He whispered.

"Should...should I stop?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper at this point. He was torn, conflicted. On the one hand, this was dangerous and uncharted territory. They had no idea what this curse was, if it was one at all, and what may happen if she kept doing this. Draco hadn't had any control over grabbing her, and even now it was taking him every ounce of strength in his entire body not to pull her closer. He was a Gentleman, and he had morals. He didn't want to risk hurting her, because he couldn't control this 'affliction'.

But, on the other hand, there was something deep inside him calling out to her, begging that she didn't stop. She could very well be finding a way for them to have an advantage over this thing, discovering a way to cut the ties between them and get on with their lives.

"No, keep going, you might be onto something. But...to be safe, have your wand ready." Draco muttered. He felt her nod beside him, one hand leaving his neck to retrieve her wand from her pocket. A few short moments later, and she was kissing his neck.

His fingers instantly gripped onto the carpet as a powerful wave of pleasure washed over him, jaw tightening as he did his best to restrain himself. This was so fucked up. Here he was, with Hermione Granger between his legs as she kissed his neck. What on earth would his Father think if he knew? He'd probably disown Draco for associating with a Muggle-born Witch such as she. That certainly made Draco more determined to keep going.

It was then he noticed he wasn't feeling remotely sick or dizzy. Of course Hermione Granger had managed to find a loophole within the first proper day of investigating this thing. Without realising it, his hands had started wandering, one moving under her cardigan to run up her back, whilst the other moved down to grab onto her rear tightly.

It was only when a shuddering gasp left Granger's lips that Draco realised how quickly things had escalated, without being aware of it happening. She was straddling him now, hips moving ever so slightly against his, and his were meeting hers with equal enthusiasm.

Fuck. He needed to stop this, now, before it got out of hand. But something had taken control of his body, trapping him inside like a fish in a tank. In the blink of an eye, he'd rolled them over so he was now on top of her, hips pinning her down as he moved against her, lips moving to her neck as he began biting and sucking to mark his territory.

Wait, what?! His territory? Granger was not his fucking territory! What the hell was going on?! Sweet Merlin, why did she have to feel so good? A low moan escaped his mouth as her nails dug into his hips, pulling him closer to her center. He could feel her, he could feel everything through the thin material of the black leggings she was wearing. He needed her. Now. Every part of his entire being ached for her.

Tearing himself away, Draco yanked the tie off his face and took in several deep breaths, laying on his back on the floor. His lungs were burning, desperate for air. What the hell had just happened?! What had come over him, and why hadn't she stopped him?

"I'm sorry. I couldn't stop it..." Draco panted, covering his eyes with his arm.

"I-It's ok...but I think we can eliminate affection being the cure to this curse. We wouldn't have been able to...well, do that if it was..." Hermione muttered. Nodding, he couldn't help but agree with her. So why on earth did touching her hands and kissing her make him pass out, but having her kiss his neck bring out such an uncontrollable lust from within him?

Getting up, Draco excused himself and quickly departed her room before rushing to his, hoping no one noticed the rather flustered state he'd left in. He was struggling to make sense of the bloody visions that haunted him regarding Granger, now he had to deal the fact they'd been acting like a pair of rabbits in heat, clawing at one another in a frenzied lust that neither of them seemed to have any control over. Roll on the fucking holidays.

**.**

Despite recent events, Draco had managed to fall asleep fairly easily for the first time in a week. However, his slumber was disturbed when he woke to the sound of his door opening. In the pitch-black darkness, he couldn't tell who had decided to be ballsy enough to try their luck at getting the jump on him, but he used the lack of light to quietly reach over and grab his wand from the bedside cabinet. Armed and ready, he listened to the floorboards creak ever so slightly with each footstep the intruder took, getting closer to him with every stride. It was only mere seconds before they were standing next to him.

Not wasting his chance, Draco reached out and grabbed the wrist of the intruder, yanking them onto the bed before he pinned them down, straddling them to make sure they couldn't get away. Wand pointed to their neck, he cast a quick Lumos to identify his intruder. He certainly wasn't expecting to see a wide-eyed Hermione Granger pinned beneath him.

"What the fuck, Granger?!" He hissed, glaring at her like she was the stupidest woman on the planet. Well, she probably was at this moment in time. Who in their right mind crept into the room of a former Death Eater during the early hours of the morning? She was fucking insane. A trait he figured she'd learned from being around Potter too long.

"S-Something's wrong...e-ever since you...since we...did that thing earlier...it won't stop." Granger muttered, her bottom lip trembling. She was fidgeting beneath him, probably trying to get out from underneath him, but he wasn't having it. She couldn't just break into his room whenever she felt like it, simply because she was having issues. Surely she could have gone to Potter and Weasley to get their help, they were her friends after all.

"What won't stop…?" Draco asked, confusion and concern etching across his features.

"T-The pain in my stomach. Please Malfoy, i-it hurts so much I sometimes can't breathe. I-I know this has something to do with our situation. C-Can't you feel it?!" Granger stuttered, fidgeting more beneath him. He couldn't feel anything. There was no pain anywhere in his body, except for the migraine that was slowly forming thanks to her.

But that's when he noticed the pink tints to her cheeks, the glossed look over her eyes, how she was wetting her lips every few seconds, and the movements her hips were making. It hit him, at that moment, like a ton of bricks. Suddenly he knew what was going on.

"Granger, you're fucking horny. Go deal with it and let me go back to bed." Draco sighed.

"N-No, that's not it...I-I...can't..." She groaned, covering her face with her hands. The movement caused her shirt to raise slightly, revealing her belly button. It was then he noticed a dark bruise forming there. What the hell? Moving his wand away from her neck, he lowered it to her stomach to get some better lighting on the bruise. It looked exactly like the curse Dumbledore had in his hand during their sixth year.

"G-Granger..." He stuttered, looking back up at her. He didn't manage to get another word in, because she bolted upright and started coughing, a dark liquid leaving her lips and dribbling down her chin as she did so. It looked like oil, thick and lumpy oil. Picking her up in his arms, he instantly carried her out of his room and rushed out of the common room. He needed to get her to the infirmary, something was seriously wrong.

When he was halfway there, he suddenly felt a large pain spreading in his stomach. Gritting his teeth, he leaned up against the wall to try and steady himself, still holding a coughing Hermione in his arms. The pain was unlike anything he'd ever experienced before in his life, like someone was dragging hundreds of glass shards down his body in different directions and at different speeds. It was getting too much to bear.

Falling to his knees, Draco managed to twist his body so he would fall onto his back, stopping Granger from being crushed beneath him had he of fallen forwards. Instead, she landed on his chest and clung to him like her life depended on it.

Then he started coughing, and he could feel a thick liquid staining his lips. His throat felt like it was being squeezed shut by something, or someone, breathing was becoming more and more difficult as each second passed. His vision started to blur when he heard the sound of distant footsteps running over to him, multiple figures entered his field of vision, but he couldn't figure out who they were for the life of him.

One rushed off while the other knelt down beside him. They were saying something, but his hearing was so distorted, it felt like he had cotton buds in his ears. Despite his best efforts, he lost his fight and slipped into the cold darkness of unconsciousness once again.

**.**

He couldn't breathe. No matter how much he tried to inhale, it felt like nothing was reaching his lungs. He could see Madame Pomfrey rushing around him, desperately trying every counterspell she could think of, her eyes wide in panic as nothing seemed to work.

Looking to his right, Draco could see that Professor Slughorn was present as well, searching through vials and bottles frantically. It was a strange turn of events, given that he'd laced the man's drink with poison in hopes he would deliver it to Dumbledore, only to nearly kill Slughorn, Potter and Weasley instead. Now, here the man was, trying to save his life. Such a dramatic and humorous twist of irony.

"Nothing is working, Headmistress. Whatever this substance is, I can't remove it with magic. Both are struggling to cling on to life at this point." Madame Pomfrey's distressed voice sighed. Both? Looking to his left, it was then Draco noticed Hermione Granger laying in the bed next to him, coughing violently. More of the black substance erupted from her mouth, staining her clothing and the bed in the process.

"Then we need a non-magical solution." A vaguely familiar voice muttered. It was then Lavender Brown came into view. She must have been one of the people who found him and Granger in the corridor. But who had been with her? And where were they now?

"I'm not sure I follow, Miss Brown." Professor McGonagall stated softly, clearly confused.

"This substance has fought against every spell you've sent at it. It's obviously been designed to repel any and all forms of magic. So we need to use something it can't fight against. I think they need a tracheostomy, it's a Muggle procedure where a hole is cut into the throat to allow the patient to breathe. By cutting below the vocal cords, air will be able to reach their lungs." Brown explained, causing Draco's eyes to widen in panic.

Before he could even think to protest, call her a crazy bitch and demand to know why she wasn't locked away in Saint Mungos, he bolted upright and emptied the contents of his stomach all over the bed, desperately trying to get some air in his lungs when it was over.

A hand rubbing his back gently caused him to look to his right, and that's when he noticed Luna Lovegood by his side, a concerned expression engraved into her features. Had she been the other person who had come to his and Granger's aid before he'd passed out? He couldn't really think about it too long before another wave of nausea took over him and he was emptying his guts again, only this time it was more of that strange black liquid.

He didn't even hear the sound of the door slamming open, not that it was really possible over the combined noises of both him and now Granger heaving continuously. But he did feel a pair of hands grab him by the throat and drag him off the bed, as well as the collective yells of protests from everyone in the room. He certainly felt the wall slamming against his back, earning a groan of pain to leave his stained lips. It was then he was met with the rather venomous gaze of one; Ronald Weasley. Of fucking course.

"What the fuck have you done to her now?!" Weasley demanded, slamming Draco back against the wall again, this time a lot harder than before. His vision went blurry and he was struggling to remain on his feet, thanks to the pressure Ron's hands were applying to his throat. A hand grabbed Ron's shoulder, Lovegood, desperately trying to pull him away.

One of Ron's hands let go of Draco's throat, moving to push Lovegood away, causing her to stumble and fall back onto the ground with a loud thump. Madame Pomfrey was at her side in an instant, checking the girl for any apparent injuries that needed tending to.

"Mister Weasley! Unhand Mr Malfoy this instant!" McGonagall snapped, her voice echoing throughout the entirety of the hospital wing, earning a collective silence from everyone inside. Reluctantly, Ron let go, causing Draco to fall to the ground in a wheezing heap. Lovegood crawled over to him as soon as Ron was backing away, helping Draco up into a seated position, letting him catch his breath for a few seconds before she helped him walk over to a new bed, one that wasn't covered with black ooze or his own vomit.

After Weasley was escorted out by Professor Slughorn, Brown and McGonagall made plans to go visit the girl's Uncle, a Muggle surgeon who had married her Aunt a few years back. Lovegood remained with Draco, doing her best to keep him calm and rub his back to try and help him breathe, while Madame Pomfrey tried to keep both him and Granger in the best possible condition until McGonagall and Brown returned with her Uncle.

Barely five minutes followed before the pair had returned with a rather tall looking brunette man with bright green eyes and a face full of freckles. He seemed rather daunted by the seen before him upon first glance, but quickly composed himself and began examining Draco and Hermione. Two more minutes passed after he came to the same conclusion as Brown. There was no opportunity for Draco to protest, as mere moments later his eyes grow heavy, the last thing he saw before passing out was Professor McGonagall aiming her wand at him, muttering a spell under her breath.

**.**

When Draco Malfoy woke up, the first thing that returned to him was his sense of smell. There was something overpoweringly sweet to his right. Wincing, he turned his head to see a cup of tea, still steaming, resting on the bedside cabinet. It was then he saw Hermione Granger sitting in the chair beside his bed, her head resting on the mattress just beside his hand. Cautiously, he lifted his hand and ran it through her hair, strangely comforted by how it felt to have the messy strands brush against his fingers.

When she stirred, he instantly pulled his hand away and watched as she pushed herself into a seated position, rubbing her eyes with her fists clenched. Bloody hell, she looked adorable. And he was out of his mind for thinking something like that!

"Morning Granger." He muttered, throat strangely sore for some reason. Oh, the muggle surgery thing. What was it called again? Trig...tra...fuck it. He was less than impressed the Headmistress had knocked him out and let some Muggle doctor cut his throat open. But, on the other hand, he was alive and not coughing up any black ooze, so whatever the man had done it had obviously worked...for now at least.

As soon as Granger's eyes met his, her cheeks turned bright red. Something had happened while he'd been asleep, maybe she'd had another vision of sorts, one involving intimacy between them. Or maybe she was just thinking about what had happened between them in her dorm? Who could say for sure, he doubted she would give him an honest answer if he asked her what was wrong. So he wasn't going to bother.

"How are you feeling?" She asked softly, avoiding eye contact with him once again. There was no doubt in his mind that something had definitely happened while he'd been in the land of nod. It was just a matter of what that was plaguing his thoughts.

"A bit sore, but other than that I'm as well as can be expected. Any news on what the hell happened last night?" Draco asked, pushing himself up to sit against the headboard.

"Nothing. Slughorn's been examining that black substance all night, but whatever it is, it's new. No one has seen anything like it before. They're positive that they removed it all from our system, but one thing we know for sure was that it was killing us Malfoy, destroying us from the inside out. And I think it was because of our...loophole." Hermione sighed, running a hand through her hair to tuck it behind her ear.

"So, we're fucked. If we try to solve this shit, then it tries to kill us for breaking the rules of this shit show." Draco groaned, closing his eyes as he let out a long and frustrated breath.

"It gets worse." Hermione muttered, holding up her right hand which was now grey. Looking down, Draco noticed his was exactly the same.

"We're still dying...aren't we?" She didn't answer his question verbally, the look in her eyes spoke volumes. There was no fighting the reality of the situation: they were dying.


End file.
